1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an image forming apparatus, an image forming method, and an information processing apparatus for conducting print instruction thereto, in which the user using the information processing apparatus is not required to set print options and simply indicates a print instruction description to repeatedly utilize to conduct a printing process.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, when a printer function of an image forming apparatus is utilized from a client PC (Personal Computer) connected to the image forming apparatus through a network, after a user using the client PC indicates a documented to print out and sets printing method (print options), a printing process is conducted in accordance with the printing method desired by the user.
In this case, the document is retrieved from a storage area storing the document and both the document and the print options are transmitted through the network to print out every time. Recently, when the document storing in the image forming apparatus is printed out, the client PC obtains a ticket for using the document (image data) and instructs to print out with the ticket. Accordingly, the user simply sets the print options. Thus, the document can be printed out without transmitting the document. For example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2001-117737 discloses this technology.
However, in the conventional system using a ticket, since there is no function for managing print options set by the user by corresponding to the document directed to the printing process, the user is required to set the print options every time when the user desires to print out the document. In addition, even when the user needs the same print options as previously set, the user is required to set the same print options (print instruction description) while recalling the previous print options.